Posted by Sally Traynham / Thursday, April 19th, 2012
Congrats! Jose Andres is honored by Time as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. [WaPo]
Pizzeria Orso announces it will add brunch starting Memorial Day weekend. [FallsChurchPatch]
Farewell to junk food in schools? Yesterday, the Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project released poll results in which 80-percent of the 1,010 polled adults said they would support nutritional standards limiting the calories, fat and sodium in such foods. [Reuters]
This weekend, eat with a cause at restaurants donating to local food organizations. [NVM]
New to the (Arlington) neighborhood Pines of Italy is applying for a live entertainment and dancing permit, but it looks like Arlington County Board will defer the request. [ARLnow]
Check your fridge. Dole Food Co. recalled 756 cases of Seven Lettuce bagged salad due to a potential salmonella risk. [McLeanPatch]
Kraft goes green by cutting 45 million pounds of weight from the packaging of their products since 2010. [psfk]
Earth Day is Sunday, check out these tips for prepping your garden and what to plant and where to buy seeds. [NVM]
Starting on Earth Day, Whole Foods will no longer sell fish caught through from damaged waters or damaging methods. Say goodbye to tuna salad. [USAT]
Photo: Petr Malyshev/Shutterstock
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Posted by Sally Traynham / Wednesday, April 18th, 2012
I always feel better about eating out when I have an excuse. Whether a birthday, a holiday, or an anniversary, it’s easier to justify the amount of food I eat at a restaurant—I seem to have a slight portion control problem—when I know why I’m eating.
This week, we don’t feel bad. Here are two places that invite you to chow down, with proceeds benefiting great causes.
Tomorrow, April 19, Restaurant 3 is kicking off their summer patio pig roast series, which will take place every third Thursday of each month through September 20. Infamously known for their love of pork, enjoy the spring weather and a pig-focused menu with sides and drink specials—like $3 draft beers and $5 bacon Bloody Marys. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Southern Foodways Alliance (SFA), a nonprofit organization that documents, studies and celebrates the diverse food cultures in the American South.
Busy until the weekend? Dive into the 5th Annual Hank’s Oyster Fest at Hank’s Oyster Bar where you will be able to feast on all-you-can-eat oysters among other signature items this Saturday, April 21st. Wash them down with a selection of premiere beers and stay for dinner, which will feature special guests from local oyster farms and beverage brands that will be offering tasty beer pairings. 10 percent of sales will be donated to Women Chefs and Restaurateurs (WCR), an organization that promotes the education, advancement and connection of women in the culinary world.
For more details or for other food events, check out our Food & Wine Calendar!
Photo: Suzanne Tucker/Shutterstock
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Palates Behind the Plate: Latiya Kompimay of Duangrat’s
Posted by Joey Hernandez / Tuesday, April 17th, 2012
A series dedicated to the palates behind NVM’s 2011 Fifty Best Restaurants. We know what they serve, but what do they eat?
Restaurant: Duangrat’s
2011 Rank: #47
Executive Chef: Latiya Kompimay
NoVA’s best dish:
A couple of plates from Pizzeria Paradiso are my favorites: Insalata Mista, Antipasti plate, and the “Atomica” pizza.
Never would I ever eat:
There aren’t many things I won’t eat but I don’t care much for pungent bamboo shoots.
After work grub:
I stock up on Trader Joe’s frozen finger foods and organic chips.
At home cooking:
Last meal cooked at home was for my husband and I this past Sunday and it was Panang Beef Curry which is a red coconut basil curry.
Burger, burrito or bánh mì:
Burgers, as I like to grill them at home.
Photo courtesy of Eddie Duangrat
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Hops Are Hot: Mad Fox Brewing Company Nominated for Hottest Bar Scene
Posted by Stefanie Gans / Tuesday, April 17th, 2012
The kids are cool out in Falls Church, at least that’s what the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) says.
Mad Fox Brewing Company was nominated for a 2012 RAMMY award for Hottest Bar Scene of the Year, the only NoVA restaurant selected for this category. Other nominees include Black Jack,The Hamilton, Hill Country Barbecue Market, and Marvin.
Unlike Chef of the Year (NoVA Nom: Anthony Chittum, Vermilion) or Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year (NoVA Nom: The Ashby Inn & Restaurant), Hottest Bar Scene is selected by the people. Public voting is open now through April 29. Awards will be presented at a gala on June 24th.
You can use this link to vote for NoVA’s craft beer hangout. NoVA props. Whaaaat Whaaaat!
Photo: Jonathan Timmes
If It’s Too Good To Be True: Tempura and Soup
Posted by Stefanie Gans / Monday, April 16th, 2012
Tempura. Udon. Broth.
We were sold. How could something breaded and fried work in a soup? We didn’t know but were stoked to find out, at the recently renamed MiRak in Chantilly.
Turns out, our excitement quickly vanished as the battered sweet potato’s bread crumbs slid off the (under-cooked) orange rectangle and into the MSG’d liquid below.
If it’s too good to be true…
Photo: Stefanie Gans
Posted by Sally Traynham / Monday, April 16th, 2012
NoVA is in a constant state of evolution—from building new metro stations on the Silver line and the stream of high-rises that keep popping up in the Clarendon area. Our dining scene is no different.
Here are some updates to keep you in touch with all of the changes that might effect your eating habits:
Arlington Ridge shopping center welcomes welcomes future tenets: SweetFrog Frozen Yogurt and Starbucks. [ARLnow]
Occasionally Cake opened its second store in Old Town. [MountVernonPatch]
Chipotle (is slowly taking over the world, one store at a time and) moves into the Lee Heights shopping center. [ARLnow]
A sneak peak of Clarendon’s Bronx Pizza new design. [ARLnow]
Construction for a new Costco in Mount Vernon begins. [MountVernonPatch]
Oby Lee Winery and Coffee Shop to open in Clarendon. [ARLnow]
Photo: kaarsten/Shutterstock
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What Would Jesus Eat: Restaurants’ Christianity and Gay-Bashing
Posted by Stefanie Gans / Friday, April 13th, 2012
Washington City Paper’s Chris Shott (who is <wipe tears away> leaving his post for New York) dove into the politically-charged act of eating Chick-fil-A. The Georgia-based fast food chain’s foundation has donated to anti-gay rights organziations, or as Shott put it, ”groups whose espoused views on gay rights lie somewhere along the spectrum between Rick Santorum and Kirk Cameron.”
Gay-rights supporters now regularly boycott eating at Chick-fil-A, refusing to give money to a business that doesn’t share their philosophy.
The debate started in the city after the announcement of a forthcoming Chick-fil-A food truck from Kevin Singletary, current owner of two Chicks in Maryland. “Chick-fil-A really is a neutral organization,” Signletary told Shott. “The company is founded on biblical principles…”
But Chick-fil-A isn’t the only restaurant serving a higher power.
ARLnow.com reports that the Richmond-based frozen yogurt chain SweetFrog will open at the Arlington Ridge Shopping Center (2901 S. Glebe Road), and already has multiple NoVA locations. The fro-yo shop was opened under Christian ideals; from its website:
SweetFrog was founded on the principles of Christianity and our belief in bringing happiness and a positive attitude into the lives of our consumers. At SweetFrog, F.R.O.G stands for Fully Rely On God – and we hope to be an example of that in every community!
Cracker Barrel was famous for its anti-gay employment policies. When the founder died earlier this year, the New York Times wrote it into the first line of his obit:
Danny Evins, who created Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, a restaurant heavy on grits and nostalgia, expanded it into a $2 billion chain and then fought a losing battle to discriminate against gay employees, died on Saturday in Lebanon, Tenn.
With the uptick in very public religious displays from politics (Rick Santorum) to football (Tim Tebow) it seems that Jesus will continue to find a home nestled in the crevasse of a waffle fry.
Other NoVA restaurants founded under Jesus? List them in the comments.
Photos: CURAphotography/Shutterstock.com (Jesus); Sue Yang/Shutterstock.com (sandwich); terrible photoshopping by Stefanie Gans
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Time Stands Still at Peking Gourmet Inn
Posted by Joey Hernandez / Friday, April 13th, 2012
For years, my family and I spent our Sunday dinners at Peking Gourmet Inn. We gathered at this Falls Church restaurant for birthdays, holidays, and anything that granted a celebration. Time passed, we got older, busier and moved farther and farther away from Falls Church and so our weekly dinners there turned into monthly visits and then suddenly stopped about ten years ago.
But, this week was special. It was my mom’s birthday so we decided to celebrate it at an old family favorite. Walking in and seeing all the framed photographs of past powerhouses like Colin Powell and President Bush along side of the owner, plus the unchanged lines and lines of round tables, brought back great childhood memories.
Our area is notorious for fast pace living, but for this restaurant time stands still and that’s okay with me. The sides: pancakes, cucumber, hoisin sauce and scallions were brought out to the table as we waited for the whole Peking duck to make it’s appearance and be carved table side just as I remembered from my teenage years. It was very comforting to see that nothing had changed.
Peking Gourmet Inn opened in 1978 and it’s no wonder that they are still around, they figured out the magic formula and stuck to it.
Photo by: Joey Hernandez
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Lick Your Screen: Steak Me Edition
Posted by Stefanie Gans / Thursday, April 12th, 2012
Sillpancho, breaded steak & over easy eggs | Llajaymanta Bolivian Restaurant | Falls Church
Photo by Stefanie Gans
[Do you have a lick-worthy photo? Send it in: food desk / follow @gansie]
Palates Behind the Plate: Adam Barnett of Eventide
Posted by Joey Hernandez / Thursday, April 12th, 2012
A series dedicated to the palates behind NVM’s 2011 Fifty Best Restaurants. We know what they serve, but what do they eat?
Restaurant: Eventide
2011 Rank: #38
Executive Chef: Adam Barnett
NoVA’s best dish:
Shortrib Frankfurter from Lyon Hall.
Never would I ever eat:
I would have to say sea urchin raw but I do like to use uni in sauce work. The raw uni for me taste like a wet beach, so it’s not for this guy.
After work grub:
Our biscuits are pretty incredible so it’s not too uncommon to see me munch down on one or two during service. But I recently started eating healthier so I just started eating poached fish and put it over a salad. Look at me being all healthy!
At home cooking:
I had about fifteen friends over, we did smoked sirloin flap meat, barbecue pork and all the barbecue trimmings. It was a big barbecue. It was a good time.
Burger, burrito or bánh mì:
You know, I’m a good midwestern boy so I’m going to have to say burger.
Photo courtesy of Erich Roland
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